News About Gluten-Free Beauty

The latest spin on wheat allergies: Don't just watch your diet, watch your hair and skincare. According to some beauty companies, cosmetics and hair products containing gluten (yes, some do) could cause you skin rashes, swelling, or irritation. Hair-care company Alterna recently removed the ingredient from their products, partly at the request of allergic customers. Interestingly, they said that people often find out they're allergic to gluten through beauty products rather than foods. Cosmetic chemist Jim Hammer confirms that unmodified forms of wheat protein may contain wheat gluten and potentially cause a reaction. But don't freak yet (or give up grooming entirely): Says Hammer, "Much of the wheat protein that is used in hair and skin care is chemically modified to make the molecule much larger—so much larger, in fact, that it loses its effect as an allergen."